The Role of Oil in South Sudan

Abstract

Natural resource revenues have played a key role in the conflicts that have plagued resource-rich African countries over the past three decades. This is mainly due to lack of equitable and transparent use of the revenues from natural resources in almost all conflict ridden countries. Many oil producing countries in Africa have failed to bring about overall development in their societies. For example, on most measures of human welfare, particularly infant mortality and literacy rates, sub-Saharan Africa’s established oil producers have generally performed no better than non-resource endowed African countries, even after receiving large oil windfalls.1 When South Sudan gained independence in 2011 after fighting its northern neighbor Sudan for over a decade, its oil wealth held the prospects of a brighter future. However, so far South Sudan has failed to live up to its citizens’ hopes and expectations. Instead, its oil resources have perpetuated conflict among the South Sudanese and with its neighbor Sudan. The central question this paper will address is: has Africa’s youngest country, set itself up to join the resource-curse club? This paper will examine the extent of South Sudan’s suffering from the resource curse? In doing so, it also examine the role of oil in South Sudan’s conflict, and question the framing of resources as a central causal mechanism in the resource abundance–conflict relationship in South Sudan.